


Fall With Me

by callmesinpai (Aieem_Artemis)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Curses, M/M, Magic, Non-Graphic Violence, Reincarnation, Soulmates, with a happy ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-07-18 04:29:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16110818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aieem_Artemis/pseuds/callmesinpai
Summary: They loved each other so much not even death could keep them apart. They would search for each other through many life times, never quite knowing or understanding what pulled them together. But they would always come together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a reincarnation/soulmate au, they're going to die a lot, but it's never a permanent thing. That's the reason that I didn't tag it. So if character death bothers you at all, please go back. I will not be offend if you can't handle it, there are things I can't handle, but just know that they are going to get a happy ending.
> 
> Okay I have several other notes before we get started:  
> With this being a reincarnation au they're not going to always be they're original genders. I have however decided to keep their names the same to save on some of the confusion. I have lots of ideas for this. Also depending on the setting depends on if Pidge is Pidge or Katie. 
> 
> Each chapter is going to kind of be it's own story, but they will all link together, (without giving too much away) there will be overlap. So maybe in one Keith remembers the previous lives and Lance doesn't, or neither of them remember and someone else does.
> 
>  ~~My last note I think~~. I started this back in Apirl/May of 2018 so I've been working on this chapter for a while because I wanted it to be solid and set the ground work for the whole story. There are things I've alluded to in this chapter that will be important later, but you never know what it is. That being said this was before Adam was even a thing to us so he is not in this chapter, but he may be in future ones. With Shiro in mind just assume that unless I say otherwise, he has both arms.
> 
> If you have any non-plot spoiling questions fill free to leave them down below or send them to me on [ twitter](https://twitter.com/aquarianSin) or [ tumblr](https://callmesinpai.tumblr.com) and as long as they don't give away any of the plot I'd be more than happy to answer them.

The moon was high in the sky as Keith moved quietly through the halls, it was his only light source in this part of the castle, most people had headed off to bed and if they were still up they weren’t in this part of the castle. It’s his night off, there's some kind of meeting tomorrow that Lance has to be at early tomorrow morning, that Keith gives no shit about and Lance cares less about. But his duty calls and he must answer. Hence why Keith isn't supposed to be here.He made a promise though, and Keith plans to keep it.

He hears hurried footsteps behind him approaching him and he shifts into the shadows. He watches Shiro pass by - close call - carrying a stack of books for Matt. Keith know Matt is more than capable of carrying them himself, but he has Shiro wrapped around his finger. They walk by slowly seemingly lost in their own little bubble, Shiro asking Matt about the magic he’s working on and Matt happy to explain. 

Typically Keith would be interested himself, but right now he just feels annoyed. The Prince’s chambers are just ahead (through a secret passageway that will lead him right to the innermost part of the castle where Lance’s room actually at) and he’s itching to get to them. He knows what waits for him there.

Lance.

As beautiful and poised as Princess Allura, but even more so to Keith - though he’s probably just bais. People come from all over the world to see their beauty, a lot of them underestimating the intelligence they posses, thinking they’ll be a quick way to get to King Alfor. They’re very, very wrong. They both had way of just being able to read people.

As soon as the pair is gone Keith makes a mad dash to the entrance of the hidden passageway. His feet louder on the stone floor that he really should be for someone sneaking, but at this point he’s in a hurry. He’d like to see anyone else try and stop him, but he know if Shiro was just on patrol he would have came to check what the sound was. Since he was with Matt he probably didn’t even hear it. He hurries through the passageway, taking all the correct turn that he knew by memory.

“You’re late.”

Keith starts before turning around and facing him, Lance has a teasing smile on his pretty face. The main sort of light was coming from the fireplace, but there were a couple of candles lit, casting light into the corner of the rooms.“Sorry I ran into Shiro escorting Matt back. They were taking the long way.”

Lance laughs softly and stand from the table. “Well you’re here now.” He moves over to him. “I hate when you have a night off. You should always be here to protect me.”

“Excuse me for having a life outside protecting you, Your Highness.” There’s no bite to Keith’s words, not like there was the first time he’d said them as children. “We both know that you’re more than capable of protecting yourself.” He reaches up to cup Lance’s cheek and Lance leans into the touch.

“I know, but I’m more comfortable knowing you’re here and that you have my back.” The softness of Lance’s expression is enough to make Keith feel warm. “I trust you to make sure nothing will happen to me, that’s why I chose you to be my personal knight.” He shifts and presses a kiss to Keith’s gloved palm.

They’ve had this conversation before, “But how did you know?” Lance has never told him. “I didn’t even like you then.” Keith typically loves his gloves, a gift from Shiro, but right now he’s cursing them as Lance continues to press kisses against his palm.

Lance stops and turns to look at him again. “I can’t tell you. It’ll ruin the surprise.” He leans forward and presses a soft kiss to Keith’s lips. “Our food has gotten cold, and Hunk took so much time to make it for us.”

Keith grins and leans in to give him another kiss. “Like that’s going to stop either of us from eating it. Or from it being delicious.”

Lance hums softly before pulling back with a thoughtful look on his face. “You’re right, but we should still eat soon.” 

“You’re such a sap, you know?” Keith is smiling though. Nobody had ever pulled on his heartstrings like this.

“You like it though.”

He did but he would never say that aloud. He was completely and totally in love with the other man. “Whatever helps you rest easy, Your Highness.”

“You wound me.” Lance pouts at him.a smile on his lips as he gestures for Lance to sit.

Keith moves over to the table and pulls out Lance’s chair, “Your Highness.” His voice is teasing, 

Lance sticks his tongue out but sits anyway. “Thank you my royal knight.” Lance says with a sarcastic flair.

Keith can't keep the smile off his face as he sits down. “I'm hungry. Let’s dig in.”

“So now you're in a hurry. You should heat the food back up for us.” Lance’s lips quirk up in a smirk. 

“I can, but it might ruin the taste.”

His lips quirk up further. “Oh well let's dig in.” Lance grabs his fork and starts eating.

Keith waits for Lance to eat first, like he’s been trained to. It's ingrained into him after years of always waiting. It's hard to break the habit even when Lance keeps trying. Keith doesn’t mind though.

“Keith. Eat.” He says after he swallows his second mouthful.

Keith smiles and grabs his silverware. “Yes, sir.” He smiles and starts eating. The food is cold like Lance said it would be, but the flavors that explode in his mouth. It would most definitely been better fresh and hot but even in this state its still amazing.

“What ever Hunk is earning, he deserves more.”

Lance laughs. “I agree. But he already is handsomely compensated. And he will continue to be.”

“Good, meals wouldn't be the same without his food.” Keith laughs softly. “Don't want him to leave us.”

“Missing a good friend.” Lance smiles softly.

“Yeah. We wouldn't want that.” Lance’s smile is contagious and Keith finds himself smiling as well.

God he was so in love with him.

They eat, talking as if they didn't see each other pretty much every day. Retelling  
stories that they'd both had already heard or had been there for. But they acted like it was the first time they’d heard it, or laughing before the other had even gotten to the funny part. They just click like they’re just meant to be.

Keith doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve this, but he thanks the gods.

“Undress me.” Lance teases after their meal is finished and he’s stands and moves to the closet.

Keith snorts. “Sorry Sir, but I'm not on duty.” He lightly drags his finger teasingly up one of Lance’s arm across his broad shoulders and down the other arm. “Maybe you should call one of the maids to undress you.”

Pink floods Lance’s cheeks, but he smirks. “Well if that’s what gets you going I can.” Lance reaches over to tug the cord that would call one of the servants to his dressing room, but Keith stops him.

Keith drops Lance's wrist his face flooding with heat. He shifts awkwardly for a second surprised by his own jealousy that's churning in his belly. He shakes it off, many people have seen Lance naked, many people will see Lance naked still, that doesn't mean that Keith doesn't want to be the only one to see Lance naked. He doesn't want to share that with anyone, even though he knows that won't ever happen. He can wish.

Lance chuckles and gives him a soft kiss. “If you keep making that face you're going to age prematurely.”

Keith gives him a weak glare. “And it'll be your fault.” He opens the elaborate decorative pin that holds Lance’s cape in place. It falls to the floor with a soft thump.

“I knew you wanted to undress me.” Lance teases him again. They've done this many times before, teased each other as they stripped of their clothes, thriving in each other’s naked glory.

“I like the feeling of your hands on my skin.” Lance’s eyes are dark, pupils dilated with want. His voice is low and husky and they hadn't even really started yet. 

Keith shivers and licks his lips his hands stilling on the front of Lance's shirt. “Lance…” he breathes the word unable to look away.

The smile on Lance’s face grows slightly but stays warm. He grabs the hem of his shirt and pulls it up over his head, dropping it on the floor. He cups Keith’s face pulling him into a soft kiss. There’s none of the teasing that was there before.

There's something different about tonight. They're both afraid to point it out from fear that drawing attention to it may make whatever it is worse. They can feel it on their skin tasted it on their lips. Something’s off but they don’t pay it any mind, there are other things that they’re focused on.

Keith pulls away from the kiss with a smile of his own, dropping down to his knees as he starts working on the laces of Lance’s boots. Lance lets out a soft sound, his fingers threading through his hair.

“Keith.” Lance’s voice is rough and broken and when Keith looked up he felt heat shoot down his spine. Lance is giving him a lust filled look, he looks wrecked but they haven’t even gotten to the good parts yet.

Keith has to look away, he doesn’t know what he’ll do if he doesn’t. He pulls off one boot and sets it to the side before he starts on the second one. Keith doesn’t look up when Lance calls his name again, he knows something in him will break if he does. He pulls the other boot off and sets it to the side. When he finally looks up at Lance, whos fingers had stilled in his hair, he knew taking his time with that had been the right thing to do. Lance looked like he’d calmed down some, Keith felt like he had calmed down some. He was able to shake that desperation that had been clinging to his skin off.

God he loves this man, and he will do anything and everything in his power to keep him happy and safe.

Keith stands pulling his shirt up over his head and dropping it to the floor, Lance’s hands slide up his stomach and then his chest stopping to rest on his shoulders. “God I love you so much.”

“That’s disgusting.” Keith smiles softly stepping back as Lance pushes him.

"You’re disgusting.” Lance makes a childish face at him as he continues pushing him back towards the bed. 

Keith’s legs hit the edge and he lets himself fall back when Lance pushes him further. He drops down between Keith’s legs and returns the favor of taking off his boots. Keith leans up on his elbows to watch him; Lance’s moves slow, sensual, and precise. He looks up at Keith through his lashes, as he pulls off one boot and then the other.

Lance slides his hands up Keith’s calves as he stands, his hand coming to rest on Keith’s thighs. He stands between Keith’s spread thighs looking down at him. Their eyes lock and time stands still, but the arousal demanding his attention. Keith breaks the stand still when he reaches up and cups Lance’s face.

He looks so beautiful with the moonlight streaming in the windows behind him. He looks ethereal, the blue moon light softening his features. Lance’s eyes almost glow and its breathtaking. Keith has to take a moment to take him in, committing the image to his memory. He’s seen Lance like this before, but each time is as beautiful as the last. When he’s old and grey he’ll still have this image imprinted in his mind.

And he can’t help but wonder exactly what Lance is thinking that makes his face soften like that.

“So are we just going to continue to stare at each other, or…” Lance says, teasing smile pulling up on his lips. The moment is broken, and Lance goes from being an ethereal being to a prince, his prince, still beautiful for sure, but just human.

Keith groans and falls flat again. “You always have to ruin it.”

“Keith we go through the starting every time. I don’t look any different then I did at lunch.” Lance crawls over him nuzzling against his neck, breathing in his smell.

“That’s it.” Keith’s arms wrap around him, pulling their chests flush. “Not going to suck your dick anymore.”

Lance lets out a displeased hiss before biting down on the sensitive juncture of Keith’s neck, sucking on it to leave a mark even knowing it will show the next day. “Rude you were the one who jumped me.”

“I just want to remember every single moment with you.”

“And here I thought I was supposed to be the romantic one.” Lance presses a kisses up his neck, stopping to nip at his ear. “I think I ruined you.”

Keith let’s out a pleased sigh. “I prefer to think of it as made me better.”

Lance chuckles pulling back to loom over him, looking every bit the predator. “Well then, maybe I should ruin you now.”

A shiver runs up Keith’s spine, and he’s very quickly reminded that he’s still hard when Lance presses down rolling their hips together. “Lance!” he groans and arches up to meet him.

There’s a mouth against his before he can let out his next whimper; its hot, wet, and hungry. Keith is feeling overwhelmed very quickly, but he won’t just surrender without a fight. He rolls over, pinning Lance to the bed.

Keith pulls away from the kiss grinning victoriously. “I win.” His voice is teasing, challenging Lance.

 

Lance just smiles up at him, sweetly. “I suppose I owe you a reward then.”

“You do.”

“Then tonight we shall do whatever you like.”

The disappointment of Lance not fighting back is quickly replaced with the thrill of the possibility that tonight could bring. “So if I want to stop here,” Keith grinds against him, “then you would be alright with cuddling the rest of the night?”

Lance lets out a pained sound, “If that’s what you want. But I don’t think that’s what you want.”

“Hmm… I suppose you’re right. You are rarely wrong.” 

Lance smirks, but his voice is breathless. “It’s a gift.”

“Hmmm…” Keith stands from the bed. Lance looks panicked for a minute for a minute sitting up to follow him, he calms down when he sees Keith reaching into the table that was just out of reach grabbing the vile of oil.

Keith smirks at him. “Off with your pants, Sire,” Keith undoes the strap holding his pants up, allowing them to fall bunching around his ankles. He step out of them turning his full attention back to Lance.

Now Lance is staring like he’s entranced.

It makes Keith feel self conscious. “Lance?” He starts, blinking a few times. “Your pants. It’s not fair if I’m the only one naked.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“I am, or else I’m just going to have to play with myself.” Keith raises an eyebrow at him, the thought of spreading his thighs and putting himself on display for Lance as he masturbated sent thrills through his body. That was definitely something he was going to file away for another time.

Lance’s pants were gone after a slight hesitation, he seemed to be having the same thought as Keith, but actually touching won out in the end. His pants joined Keith’s on the floor and he moved to relax back against the pillows, instead of being sprawled in the random angle he had been before.

He looked sinfully delicious like this, and Keith was going to devour him. He crawls on the bed, throwing on leg over Lance’s straddling his thighs, his hands moving up Lance’s stomach and chest slowly, sensually. He opens the vile and coats his fingers, eyes locked on Lance’s face as he reaches behind himself and starts to prep himself. Lance intently watches his hand’s every movement, eyes glassy with lust. 

Keith could get lost in that look, and he often had. He leans up and kisses him moaning softly as he stretches himself. Lance kisses him back passionately, devouring every sound Keith makes. Its messy, wet, and amazing. There's too much tongue too much saliva, but Keith is already too far gone to care.

“Mmmn. I want you.” Lance whimpers. “You look so good, like that, opening yourself up for my dick.”

“Shut up. Toys don’t talk.” Keith growls, but pulls his fingers out of himself coating Lance’s dick, stroking him teasingly.

“Keith!” Lance moans arching up into his touch. “Please!”

Keith stills his hand and loosens his grip. “I said to be quiet. Don’t make me gag you.” Lance shuts up instantly, and Keith continues his ministrations stroking Lance’s dick. It twitches in his grip, pre-cum leaking. “I think you’re ready now.”

Keith lifts himself positioning himself so he can lower himself over Lance’s dick. He whimpers at the stretch. It hurts, it always does. It's delicious. Keith has always loved this pain, it makes the pleasure to come so much better.

“Fuck Keith, god you're so beautiful.” Lance starts babbling, his hands grip at Keith's hips. Keith moves slowly, focusing solely on his own pleasure, but Lance didn’t seem to mind. He seemed to be getting just as much pleasure as Keith was getting out of this groaning and squeezing his hips with each movement, whispering praises between the sound.

Once Keith has adjusted to Lance’s girth, he starts moving faster, his hands gripping Lance’s shoulders to help him keep his balance as he moved. Keith presses his lips against Lance’s in a sloppy open mouth kiss. Lance happily replies to the kisses, his hips rolling up to meet Keith’s - pushing in as far as he can.

“Ahn!” Keith’s back arched, his grip on Lance’s shoulders tighten as pleasure spikes through Keith’s body. His legs start to shake and it only takes a couple of thrusts before Lance flips and pins Keith against the bed.

Lance pounds into Keith, the bed shaking. Keith’s nails rake down Lance’s back cutting into into the skin. God doing his job tomorrow is going to suck, but it wouldn’t be the first time that they’ve gotten a little rough and regretted it the next day.

In the moment it was so worth it.

Lance attacks his neck, leaving marks that Keith would be irritated about in the morning. Everything was so good, overwhelming but at the same time not enough. Keith was so hot. Then just like that something in Keith snaps and he spilling his seed over their stomachs, a few more thrust and Lance spills his.

Lance stays still, buried deep inside Keith. “Mmmng… That was good.”

“It was. But you're squishing me.” Keith presses against his shoulder, a teasing smile on his lips, “You’ve been enjoying Hunk’s food too much lately it seems.”

Lance pulls back, but not out yet. “Are you saying I’m getting fat?” There’s real outrage and panic in Lance’s voice.

Keith can’t help but just laugh and wrap his arms around Lance’s shoulders pulling them back together tipping them to the side.

“Keith!”

 

He just laughs harder.

Shiro gets the misfortune of finding them the next morning curled up together, still covered in their semen from the night before. He also has the misfortune of having to wake both of them. He wonders which God he pissed off to deserve this.

\-----

Lance smiles as he hears Keith's footsteps, he can see the grin over take his face. The Prince is sprawled under an Apple tree, the fragrance of its blossoms filling the air. Keith has always been more of a summer fall guy himself, but looking at Lance - dressed in his Royal blues, the bright green of the grass under him apple blossom petals in his hair - he can see the appeal of spring.

Blue eyes raise to meet his and Keith finds himself smiling as well. “Your Highness.” He says with a bow that’s more for show than anything, “So this is where you've been hiding.”

Lance laughs at the formality of it all, “Yes. It's so nice out that I thought I'd do some studying in the garden.”

“So how is that going?” Curiosity fills Keith's face as he steps closer coming to stand at Lance’s side.

“Uh… well…” he looks away sheepish and Keith feels like he can already predict what Lance is going to say. “It's so nice and warm that I ended up taking a nap…”

“You shouldn’t nap outside.” Keith points out, but that doesn’t stop the smile from coming to his lips. 

“I know, but Shiro was watching over me. He wouldn't have let anything happen to me.” He smiles so brightly that Keith feels the warmth swirl in his own chest, “And you know I can defend myself.”

“Not when you're asleep.” Keith raises an eyebrow.

“Fair enough.” Lance chuckles. “But Shiro would at least wake me up.”

“Sometimes you sleep like the dead.” Keith crosses his arms across his chest.

“Nothing happened, Keith. It’s alright. I'm alright.”

Keith wants to argue more but he lets the words die. It's not worth arguing about, nothing happened. Not many people would be brave enough to come this far into the castle and mess with the prince. “Please be more mindful in the future.”

“Alright.” Lance smiles even though they both know that he’s going to do it again anyway. The people of the kingdom loved their Prince, probably more so than the Princess. Keith doesn’t blame them at all. Allura loves her people, and they love her, but she’s not as personable as Lance. “So you were looking for me?”

“Yeah. You have sword practice.” Lance groans and flops back bonelessly. Keith smiles softly down at him, anybody looking at him could see how smitten he was. He holds his hand out to him, “Come on, you're already late.”

Lance groans again but takes his hand and lets Keith pull him to his feet, “Fineeee… I hate sword practice. You always bully me.” Lance was an archer through and through, but he wasn’t bad with a sword. It’s Keith’s job to push Lance to be better.

Keith smiles softly not stooping to Lance’s level, “His Majesty is leading you through it today.”

Lance lights up. He didn’t get to spend a ton of time with Alfor one on one. They were both busy, so family time was spent together with everyone. “King Dad is coming to train me?” Keith nods and Lance lets out a happy sound and starts walking faster.

“I hope you don’t mind my joining you.”

Lance stops and turns and looks at him. “Of course not Keith, I’ll get to spend time with two of my favorite people.”

Like always, Lance’s smile was contagious, and Keith find his lips tugging up once again. Lance goes from taking the longest way to the training grounds to taking every shortcut he could come across. It was cute how excited Lance was.

It made Keith feel warm inside watching the royal family interact. Keith’s mother was a druid and he didn’t remember much about her from his childhood, Krolia was back in his life now that he was basically an adult, and while he understood why she left, he still thought it was bullshit. His father had mysteriously disappeared not long after he joined the knights. They never found his body, and Keith didn’t believe he was dead, Krolia agreed with him. But there was no way to say for certain.

Family was important, and he was happy that the Royal Family included him so much. It made Keith feel less alone in this world. It did help that Keith was Lance’s lover, they never called them out on it, but they knew. They treated Keith almost like he was part of the family.

Almost.

The accusations of favoritism held them back. Keith didn’t blame them for it though, if he was in the same position he would do the same. The cries from his fellow knights that he got off easy on punishment - he didn’t, he just didn’t do much wrong to deserve punishment - and that he got better treatment - he did, but that was because he was the Prince’s personal knight, and his lover. He didn’t get how his fellow knights had so much time to bitch and complain about him, but didn’t have time to train so they can get better.

It kind of pisses Keith off.

Lance didn’t pay them any mind, but Keith figures its more because he sucked Lance’s dick on a regularly basis, and less because whatever it was that the other knights thought it was. It probably also helped that Lance was actually in love with him. But Keith figures its the dick sucking thing.

“King dad!” Lance says with a wide smile on his face, “What are we going to do today?”

“We’re going to have a two on one duel.”

“But dad wouldn’t that be unfair to Keith?” Lance’s smile never leaves his face so Keith at least thinks that he’s joking.

Alfor pretends to mull it over playing into his son’s joke. “Yes I suppose it would, I also get the feeling that it wouldn’t really be fair to you either. Hmm what to do? What to do? I guess it’ll just have to be the two of you against me.”

“I’m sorry Sire, but I can’t do that. As a sworn knight there’s no way I can attack you.” Alfor just turns and his expression soft. Lance inherited that same softness and Keith hoped he never lost that. 

“I’m sorry Keith, but are you refusing a direct order?”

A chill runs down his spine, “No Sire, but -”

“No buts, this training for both of you.”

“Okay King dad, can we use our magicks?” Lance is bouncing on the balls of his feet. He’s beaming as he heads over to gear up. Keith follows slowly behind him, his eyes studying his king.

“Do you really think it would be a fair match if you didn’t?” There’s a playful smile on Alfor’s face, but Keith knows he’s being dead serious. Even together with magick they were going to have a hard battle in front of them, “This is a lesson, don’t forget that, but don’t think I’m going to go easy on you just because I think of you as family. Don’t think you can hesitate for a second,” He gives Keith a pointed look, “You’ll only lose that way. Now boys, show me what you’ve got.”

Even with their combined teamwork, with their combined magicks they couldn’t take Alfor down. They never gave up, and they winded him, so Keith counted that as a win. He even managed to put a few good hits on Alfor.

“Good job boys.” He said hand on his side breathing quickly, but the two of them were sprawled across the ground too tired to move, “You did good, but what did you learn?”

“Sometimes we should learn to give up?” Lance say between breaths.

“It sometimes okay not to rise to a challenge.”

“Good, good. Now are you boys actually going to put those things you learned into practice?” He looks looks between them with a raised eyebrow.

They tilt their heads to look at each other. “Probably not.”

Alfor sighs. “What am I going to do with you two?” 

\----

The library was quiet, more quiet than the two of them would like, but if they so much breath too loudly, the elementalist master who was in charge of the library would be all over their asses. He would probably be leaving soon and they could at least talk while Lance studied. Keith was reading sitting across from him, but he didn’t have to study, at least not like Lance did. He did have tests given to him by the masters, but Lance had high expectations placed on him and the determination to live up to them.

Keith liked to learn though. Before he came here he couldn’t even read. It was a luxury that Keith hadn’t been able to grasp. His dad had tried his best to teach him, but with as busy as his life was (combined with Keith being a complete handful at the time) they hadn’t gotten very far. But when King Alfor had found out Keith didn’t have any schooling he was thrown into classes with other squires before they were even assigned to a knight.

Keith had learned quickly ready to move on to bigger things. It wasn’t long until he was assigned to work under Shiro who spent his down time in the library making googly eyes at one of the mages-in-training (who he later learned was Matt). So Keith had started reading to pass the time. He had no interest in watching Shiro pretend to read while watching the other boy across the library who wasn’t paying any attention as he scrawled notes on a scroll.

That was also where he first met Lance. Keith can’t help but smile at the memory, as he watches Lance’s face twist in concentration. God he was so beautiful, it wasn’t fair. He wants to reach across the table and touch his face, touch him anywhere, but he restrained himself. Keith didn’t want to disturb the Prince while he was in the zone.

He forces his attention back on the book infront of him, one that Alfor has suggested to him to help Keith with his study of fire magicks. Lance stopped what he was doing, drawing Keith’s attention back to him; he still had the almost blank expression on his face that he got when he was studying. He looks up at a shelf and holds up a hand, his eye glowing briefly, and then a book flies from the shelf and smacks steadily against his palm.

“I… did it.” Lance’s eyes widen in shock. “I did it!”

 

“Shhhh!” the library master hisses it him.

Lance flushes, but it doesn’t take away from his excitement. He leans over the table and gives Keith a hard kiss and pulls away beaming. “I did it!”

Keith’s face breaks out in his own smile. He didn’t know what Lance had been studying but seeing him accomplish his goal left Keith filling happy for him too. Before he could say anything Lance was already moving on to the next spell he wanted to try.

Blue bubbles started appearing around the room, flickering images inside. None of them clear enough for Keith to make out what’s inside them, but Lance looks so proud. A few flicker different colors before disappearing.

“What was that?” Keith turns his eyes back to Lance.

“Memory spell.” Lance frowns at the book. Keith can tell that that he’s getting sucked to far into his head to get anything done.

“Like to help you remember things?” He tries to get a good look at the book but it's in the old language and Keith can't read it yet. He’s been learning, but the words scrawled there are far beyond his capabilities.

“No to show people your memories.” His frown depends. “It’s hard to control though.” Lance sighs and pushes his book away, “I'm done for now.”

Keith's heart drops at how frustrated Lance looks. He doesn't like seeing him this way. “Hey how about we sneak into the kitchen as see if Hunk will let us taste test thing?”

Lance’s expression lightens after that, “Okay. Let’s do it.” Lance closes his book but just leaves it there on his hurry to get to the kitchen.

Keith hopes someone botched a decorating job on a cake. He could really go for some cake right now. 

And that's how they end up in taste testing Hunk’s new creations.

“I’m going to get so fat.” Lance says around his mouth full of food, “Your foods so good. I’d be more than happy to sit down here and taste test everything.”

“You really would get fat that way.” Hunk laughs and serves them some meat dish that had just cooled enough to eat. He waits for them both to take a bite before he asks how it is.

They exchange looks and both know they’re thinking the same thing. Lance speaks before Keith can, “It’s different…”

“You don’t like it…” Hunk’s expression falls he stares down at the plate calculating, but disappointed. He’d obviously put a lot of thought, love, and work into the dish.

“Sorry buddy, it’s not you best. There just something off about it. I don’t know what it is…”

“The texture is a little weird too.” Keith adds and Lance shoots him a look.

Hunk sighs and grabs a fork and takes a bite for himself. “You’re right.” He sighs, “The last one I made was under seasoned, this one is … all wrong…” Hunk mumbles to himself for a little longer.

“Maybe you should try a different kind of meat, like fish?” Hunk’s head snaps up and he stares at Lance falling completely silent.

“What did you say?” 

Lance is panicking, Keith can tell. He rarely sees Hunk like this, and he’s never seen him like this with Lance. “I said maybe you should try it on fish?” His voice is meek and he looks like he’s on the verge of asking for forgiveness as Hunk stand up looking at the plate of meat.

It happens so quickly that neither Keith nor Lance has time to react, Hunk cups Lance’s cheeks and kisses him square on the lips. “You’re a genius!” Hunk lets him go and is back to work, leaving Lance to collapse back in his chair red faced.

Keith looks between Hunk’s back and Lance’s face in shock before amusement takes its place and he leans over the table resting his chin on his hand. “So, how was it?”

Lance starts, whipping around to look at Keith. He relaxes when he takes in the other’s expression. “Unexpected, but not bad.”

“Does this mean I get to kiss Hunk too?”

A grin crosses Lance’s face as Keith teases him, “That’s between you and him.”

Keith can’t help but laugh.

\---

He reaches out and grab the tail end of the blue cape as it passes and tugs. Blue is always a pretty color on Lance, and today Keith is feeling feisty. He wants Lance now, so even though they both have things they’re supposed to be doing, Keith has hunted Lance down.

Lance lets out a surprised sound as he’s yanked backward into the corridor. “Keith, you could warn a guy.” There’s a wide playful smile on his lip.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Keith has a smirk in place.

“So what do I owe this lovely surprise?” Lance leans back against the wall looking casual and at ease, with his arms crossed across his chest. Keith takes a moment to appreciate Lance’s beauty, the way the lights cast across his face accentuating his features. He's breathtakingly beautiful, ethereal.

Keith wants nothing more than to kiss him right now, hide him away so that nothing can mar his protection, keep him safe. But no. Lance is not an object, and it would be a crime to keep the prince locked away from the world he loves so dearly. 

But that doesn’t stop Keith from silently promising the old gods he’ll do everything in his power to protect this boy, and to keep him away from the darkness that wants to consume the world. He loves him so much. Keith stops that line of thought before it goes too far and goes to dark places because right now Lance is shining so bright and Keith wants to be in this moment.

“We sneaking back into the kitchens again?” Lance's voice is light and cheery, “I could go for some more pastries.”

“Not my plan, no.” He watches Lance's expression change into something unsure. Keith just grabs his hand and starts pulling him through the halls, avoiding as many people as possible, as they head back to Lance's room.

“You should have just said something if this is what you wanted.” Lance laughs as he shuts the door behind them.

“But then you would just tease me.”

“I'm going to tease you anyway.” Lance pulls Keith to him brushing their lips together in a ghost of a kiss leaving Keith longing for more. “You're not going to be in trouble are you?”

“No I’m on a break.” He grins and presses their lips back together in a passionate kiss. Lance kisses him back without hesitation, pressing closer against him.

“People are going to wonder where you are though.” Lance nips teasingly at Keith's bottom lip, “Usually on breaks, you're in the kitchen,” he tugs on the ties holding Keith’s pants shut and it's sexier than needs be, “or in the library.”

Keith pulls the clasp holding Lances blue cape open, and the garment falls to the floor with a muted thump. “What can I say? I enjoy reading.” His hands slide down Lance’s back to his ass and he gives it a squeeze.

Lance groans, “You're wearing too many clothes.”

“I'm on duty, technically.” 

“I don't know how to take most of this off.” Lance pouts as his tugs on a cord he thought held Keith's chest piece in place but it doesn't move.

Keith chuckles and pulls away. “But you know how the front of my pants work.” He gestures down at his dick, which is hard and hanging out of the opening.

Lance’s tongue darts across his lips when he looks down. “Well yes. That's the easy part.” Before Keith can come up with a reply Lance is dropping to his knees in front of him, pulling him closer by his hips, and taking his dick in his mouth.

Keith lets out a groan at the hot, wet sensation of Lance’s mouth. Keith cards his fingers through his hair tugging on it slightly, causing Lance to groan. The sensation of everything was almost too much, and yet not enough.

Never enough.

The heat and intensity of this moment would forever be ingrained in his mind like every other moment exactly like this. The slide of his dick through Lance’s lips, the heat, the wetness, the softness of his tongue running along the underside of his dick, the locks of hair between his fingers, the look on Lance’s face as he looks up at him through his lashes, and the pleasure coursing through his body. Lance was too good at this. Better than he should be.

A prince shouldn’t be on his knees pleasuring someone. If someone walked in the rumors would start before they even left the room. The prince, on his knees like a common whore, pleasuring someone else. Lance wouldn’t care, Lance would laugh it off and dismiss it as rumors. Keith would feel guilty about it, unable to look anybody in the eyes, which would further the rumors.

But that was the furthest thing from Keith’s mind. By this time he’s twisted his fingers in Lance’s hair, Keith’s hips moving pushing his dick deeper into Lance’s mouth. The prince’s jaw goes lax, letting Keith fuck into his mouth. Keith isn’t going to last long at this rate; he had worked himself up too much before even hunting Lance down.

“Mnnn…Lance.” he moans, Keith’s view was down right sinful. Lance is stroking his own cock as he sucks harder on Keith’s. Lance was letting out soft moans around Keith, that’s what finally pushed Keith over the edge, he pushes as deep as could and spills down Lance’s throat.

Lance pulls away looking way too proud of himself, eyes glazed and cum spilling over his swollen lips. It was beautiful, it was sexy, it was sinful. Keith was going to hell. He grins up at him, his voice husky when he speaks, “That all you got?”

Keith was late getting back.

\---

The wind blows through the trees, tugging on their clothes, but it’s not unpleasant. Actually quite the opposite, it’s nice change from the the oppressive heat. Keith would feel bad for Katie in her layers of clothing if he wasn’t in full dress armor. It was made mainly to be beautiful, but if something were to happen it was also practical. Keith wasn’t so sure about Lance’s armor. He didn’t know how practical it would be with the long flowing cape behind him. It did make quite the image him riding next to Katie though.

Keith was a little ways behind the two of them, just far enough he couldn’t hear their conversation, but close enough he could hear the pearls of laughter carried on the wind. Lance was looking every ounce the prince that he was as they escorted Katie across the valley and into the woods to gather herbs, flower, and other various items the alchemists used in their potions. It wasn’t supposed to be a dangerous mission, but the land markers that marked the edge of the Altean kingdom were lost to the forest, and they weren’t on the best terms with the neighboring Galra kingdom.

They’d had some issues in the past but for the most part the Galra avoided the forest. They were afraid the spirits and the wrath of the old gods, who loved the Alteans, and who were particularly fond of Lance.

The two of them slow allowing Keith to catch up, “We’re going to stop for lunch before we enter the forest.”

“No use traipsing through there on an empty stomach.”

“Lance is just worried that Galra are going to sneak up on us while we eat.” Pidge says with an eye roll and shifts slightly on her sattle.

“It’s good to break anyway,” Keith’s eyes slide from Lance back to Pidge, a teasing smile in place on his face, “Wouldn’t want to him get saddle sore.” Keith doesn’t know why he’s giving Lance a hard time about this since he’s worse off. Keith is a short distance rider, he’s never really had to ride far so his body is not attuned for it. He’s starting to feel sore and it’s only been a couple hours.

He should probably work on that.

Lance frowns at him, “I’m feeling alright, but I could use a leg stretch.” He meets Keith’s eyes there’s a worried look there but Lance doesn’t say anything else about it.

They’re close to the forest entrance now, which Keith is glad for because is stomach was starting to ache from hunger. Lance is the first to get down, helping Katie down from her horse. Keith joins them with the bag of food.

“I hate all these layers.” She grumbles and she rights her skirts.

“At least you’re not also in armor.” Lance takes the bag from Keith and the two of them spread the small blanket on the ground. Katie plops down and starts digging into the bag, pulling out food from the bag, and starts eating before the other two can even sit.

Lance laughs at her and sits next to her reaching for food himself. They’re talking again, cheerfully and totally at ease. Keith sits and joins them, he stays on alert watching their surroundings as they eat. Really he should be waiting until they’re done eating to eat himself. He shouldn’t be so at ease is what years of knight training tells him, but the likelihood that they would be attacked here was little to none.

But that didn’t make the bad feeling go away.

Nothing happens while their eating, and they leave their horses tied to a tree while they venture inside, the animals to big to fit through the narrow paths. Katie’s focused on finding her supplies, Lance is looking around in wonder, seemingly lost in the ever changing landscape around them. Keith can tell though, Lance is paying very close attention to everything. And Keith?

Keith is slipping through the trees silently, completely undetected as he circles around ahead of them, watching for creatures and enemies. Keith is dividing his attention between his path and making sure that the other two are okay.

“Keith…” He starts at the sound of his name, he turns back to where the other two are standing. Correction should be standing. “Where’s Katie?”

“She’s not with you?” Keith cuts through the trees and joins Lance. 

“She was just here! I turned around because I thought I saw something and she was gone.” His eyes dart around, trying to find, trying to see anything that maybe he had overlooked. “I don’t know…”

“Okay, Katie couldn’t have gotten far. We should look for her.” Lance nods in agreement. They don’t split up, it wouldn’t be smart for them to separate and get lost, “Katie!” Keith yells.

“Shh, Keith you shouldn’t do that.” Lance slaps his hand over Keith’s mouth, “The spirits are… uneasy about something. We need to find her and get out of here quickly without disturbing anything.”

Keith nods, “Okay.” He wants to kiss Lance right now, let him know just how much he loves him just in case. But it doesn’t happen and they continue on down the way they were heading, just off the path. They signal back and forth as they move, weapons not drawn but both on high alert. Something was wrong, they could both sense it, there were no sounds the forest had suddenly fallen silent. Eerily silent.

The scream echos through the trees.

They both tear through the forest toward the sound. Thrashing through the underbrush, their hearts pounding loudly, they basically stumble into clearing, Katie is standing in a large clearing that they’d never been to before, a few feet away is the high druid from the Galra empire Haggar.

“You’re trespassing on Galra land.” She barely so much as glances up at Keith and Lance as they move forward swords in hand. “What is your business here?” Her eyes narrow on Katie between them, her voice puting them all on edge.

“I told you already,” Katie’s voice doesn’t falter even though to the two of them can see that she’s actually really scared, “we just came to gather potion supplies and we didn’t realize we’d wondered out of our lands. The markers aren’t very clear.” Keith takes a step in front of Lance.

He knew if it came down to it Katie could protect herself, but his job was to make sure Lance was safe.

Haggar studies them for a moment, her eyes narrowed and cold. “So your Alten spies. You’re too well guarded to just be gathering potion supplies.” There’s a cold dread in Keith’s stomach and he’s so sure that something bad was going to happen. He wasn’t to take another step in front of Lance but he feels like that will draw too much attention to them and Haggar doesn’t seem to realize who Lance is yet. He wants to keep it that way.

Who knows what she’d do if she figures it out.

“We’re her friends and we came to help, that’s all.” Lance bends and slowly, carefully picks up the basket that Katie had been carrying and lifts the top and shows the contents. Grasses and flowers she’d gathered carefully wrapped in string, insects in jars, and some different twigs and sticks. “Just ingredients.”

“I was chasing a rare beetle.” Katie says in a small voice.

She looks between the three of them trying to catch the lie, but she doesn’t find one. The tension in Haggar’s body seems to fade slightly. She huffs and turns away from the three of them. “Hurry back to your own lands, and don’t come back.”

They don’t hesitate to book it out of there, they don’t realize that they’re being followed.

\---

Life goes on much the same as it always has. Nothing changes, nothing happens. It’s peaceful, the days getting longer as spring is fading into summer. The flowers still in full bloom, the days finally getting warm enough that they fill the pool. The days in Altea are so nice that they don’t even realize what’s coming for them.

Haggar has been watching the pretty Prince for weeks now, her anger building, tearing through her body like an uncontrollable storm. Life in Altea was the same, maybe better, now that she was gone. They didn’t even suffer, they didn’t even think of her. Life didn’t even hesitate and she was going to make them pay for that.

Anger make her shatter the glass ball she’d been looking through, the Prince lounging on the edge of the pool with the Knight. Anger carrying her through the black stone and dark metal hallways to the throne room. Anger had made her decision, but wisdom made her choose her words carefully.

“My Lord, I think Altea has had it too easy. I think it’s time we end their peace and take what’s rightfully ours.”

“Do you think this is a winnable battle Druid?” She watches her King with careful eyes taking in all his body language careful to select her next words, she knew they had to be delicate if she wanted to get her way.

“Yes Sir, if I had any doubts I wouldn’t have said anything.”

Zarkon’s eyes narrow on her, taking her in, observing her as carefully as Haggar was him. Neither of them were fools, both using the other in ways that would be mutually beneficiary, “What’s your plan?”

“It’s time to declare war, My Lord.”

\---

The day was the hottest that they’d had so far and Keith was enjoying his day off lounging by the royal pools with Lance and some of his other friends. Being the Prince’s knight had its benefits, he gets to spend spend his day lazing around in a pool instead of heading out to lake like everyone else with nothing to do today is.

“Keeeeitthhh! To arms!” Lance’s loud voice startles him out of his half sleep. Keith looks over and Lance using water magic trying to defend himself from Allura and Katie trying to splash him.

He glances up at Hunk who shrugs. “Nah I feel like you got this.” He crosses his arms and pillows his head on them.

“Keith! You traitor.” Lance sounds hurt, but Keith knows better. Lance is just trying to get under his skin.

“Water is your Element, Lance.” Katie points out splashing him, her laughter dies when the water freezes mid-air, Lance’s eyes glow blue and if it weren’t on the verge of being absolutely terrifying it would be the most beautiful thing Keith had ever seen.

“But do you really think it’s fair for me to use them?” He tilts his head and the water lifts Katie up out of the water so quickly she lets out a yelp.

“Lance…” There’s a warning in Allura’s voice, Lance has really good control, but no element can be completely controlled. So while right now it’s holding Katie delicately over the natural surface of the water, it could decide it wants to drown her in an instant. 

Keith is sitting up ready to spring into action in case something goes wrong, but Hunk is one step ahead of him. “Maybe you shouldn’t start a water fight with a water elementalist.” Hunk plucks Katie out of the water, and it lets her go, “I mean that’s just common sense if you ask me. Besides lunch is ready.”

The water splashes down on Allura and Lance looks innocent even though everybody knows he did it on purpose. She glares at him as she moves to the edge of the pool and pulls herself out. “You’re lucky you are my brother.” She pulls the ribbon holding her hair up letting it fall down around her shoulders. It doesn’t stay that way for long however, within a couple of seconds a strong wind whips it around drying it quickly, but cause it to poof out twice it’s normal size.

If Keith didn’t like his life he would laugh.

They were all sitting around the table to eat, laughing and joking when Shiro appeared. Lance smiles brightly, “Hey Shiro why don’t you.... Shiro?”

At the sudden change in Lance’s voice Keith looks up suddenly. Shiro’s face is neutral to anybody who doesn’t know him, but they all know him and can see that he feels like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Takashi?” 

He takes a deep breath his shoulders rising and falling, “You all have been request to the throne room, including you Hunk.”

There’s a somberness that falls over all of them as they abandon their food and their fun and head in their opposite directions to clean up and dress appropriately. Keith follows Lance to his room, the air between them tense. It’s obvious something is going on, but what they’re going to find out.

They dress quietly, Lance steals a soft kiss before they leave the comfort of the room. The atmosphere in the throne room was almost thick enough it could have been cut with a knife. The two of them fall in ranks, Lance by his father’s side on the opposite of Allura, Keith close to his side. The room was filled with the court, the Knights, all of the castle’s help, and as many higher soldiers as they could get on short notice.

Alfor is sitting leaning back in his chair, rubbing his face with one hand. Keith watches his shoulders rise and fall as he takes a deep breath before straightening in his chair. “There is no easy way to say this so I’m just going to be honest with you. The Galra Empire has declared war on us.”

The silence that falls over the room is broken when Allura stands suddenly and turns towards him. “Father… This is a joke, right?” Even though she asks she knows the answer. Looking at him anybody can tell that he’s not.

Alfor gives Allura a soft pitying look, he takes her hand and squeezes it. She all but collapses into her chair looking devastated,“Everyone take the rest of the day to spend with your loved ones, tomorrow we prepare for war. You’re dismissed.”

The shock makes people take longer to start trickling out. Keith stands there unmoving, one hand gripping Lance’s shoulder, probably tighter than he should but Lance didn’t say anything about it. He had to be thinking the same thing Lance was: this was their fault. After what happened in the woods those weeks ago Keith knew without a doubt that this was their fault.

But how could they say that? Would Alfor even believe them? He doubted that the King would even blame them. The tension between Altea and Galra has been growing exponentially, without a doubt this day was coming one way or another. They just happened to be the catalyst and that made everything so much worse.

Nothing was going to be alright.

\---

When they night comes Keith follows Lance back to his room. They had spent the rest of the day in one of the bigger royal lounge rooms. Lance, Keith, Allura, Alfor, Shiro, and the Holts all in one room, with others coming and going. It was nice, it was warm, Keith wished they had done it before. He wishes that the reason wasn’t so dire. Keith closes the door behind him as he sighs and leans against the sturdy wood, the energy draining from his body.

Keith looks up when the sound of cloth hitting the floor hits the flood. Lance had taken off his shirt and let it fall to the floor, he turns and looks at Keith, “Bathe with me?” Lance’s voice is soft.

Keith takes his time taking in Lance’s expression. The things he would do for this boy, his beauty broken by the heartbreak in his eyes. Keith wants to do whatever he can to fix that hurt, but he knows that there’s nothing that he can do to fix it. He feels helpless, he can’t do anything but give into his Prince’s selfish desires.

“Of course.” Keith smiles warmly and follows Lance into the smaller room right off his chambers, the tub is waiting for them. The water inside is cold, so Keith calls upon his fire magic to heat it up. They strip of their clothes and step into the steaming water.

They wash, hands wondering seeking comfort in each other. Lance’s hands slide down his Keith’s back soothingly rubbing soap into his skin. “Keith…” he leans against his back arms going around Keith, his voice was dripping with sadness, “What are we going to do?”

Keith’s shoulders slump. “I don’t know. I don’t think there’s anything we can do…”

“There has to be something.”

Keith turns around and cups Lance’s face. “There’s not this time, Lance.” He presses their foreheads together, “This is just something that we’re going to have to meet head on.” Lance tenses up, “We’re -- no, you’re going to have to be strong. The people are going to be looking to you for guidance. You’ll have to take everything in stride and I’ll be right there with you. You don’t have to be strong on your own.”

Lance reaches up and rubs his eyes, letting out a sniffle. Keith holds Lance tightly, “I’ll always be with you.” Lance finally lets out a sob. It tears through him and Keith holds him closely, letting him cry out his anguish.

Eventually the water goes cold around them, and Lance pulls back, “Can you heat it back up? I’m not ready to get out.”

Keith smiles at him softly, “Of course, Your Majesty.” Keith does exactly that, calling on his fire to heat their water back up, “My turn to wash you. Turn around.” Lance does so, giving Keith his back. He starts washing Lance’s hair, scrubbing at his scalp soothingly, he’s about to rinse Lance’s hair when he starts speaking.

“Hey Keith, when all this is said and done, would you like to make it official? Finally get married?”

Keith can put no words to the warmth that pools in his chest, “I would like nothing more.”

\---

The battle had been long and hard, but they were standing strong. When it came down to it, the Galra were really no match for Altea and those gifted with elemental magic. Still Altea had suffered a major blow, the dark magic used by the Galra had caused a lot of injuries and casualties, but the end of the war was in sight. Zarkon was dead, Prince Lotor had betrayed his people and left them to die, now all they had to do was take down the Druid.

And Haggar wasn’t going down without a fight.

Lance had been the one to spot her on the battlefield, just from the spit second he saw her he knew she had some plan. Whatever it was it couldn’t be good and Lance had to stop her. He takes down the soldier he’s fighting without remorse and hurries after her. He won’t let her get away with whatever she’s planning.

She started this war but he’ll end it.

Haggar obviously knew the castle, but he cornered her in a wing that had recently been renovated. She stood completely still as Lance came up behind her, sword drawn. She doesn’t even turn around to acknowledge his presence, “Prince Lance.” 

His eyes narrow on her, “Haggar.”

“It seems my plan have been foiled.” She finally turns and looks at him. She looks different than she did the first time that he saw her. She looks younger somehow, and that sets Lance further on edge, “Your father has ruined my plans without even knowing.” Her eyes narrow on Lance, “I will make you pay for this.” She jumps from a nearby window.

Lance doesn’t think twice about following after her.

Water breaks his fall without him even having to really have to think about it. Lance embraces the chill of the water around him, he can feel it but it doesn’t leave him wet. He takes off after her throwing ice at her. It hits her in the back and she turns on him. Fear runs down his spine, but Lance can’t back down.

He can’t fail his Kingdom. They already took his father, he can’t leave Allura too. He can’t leave his sister alone. He had to…

Pain erupted in his side. He knows what’s happened without even having to look. She laughs and blood splatters out of her mouth. “If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me.”

More ice spears through her body, and Lance can feel something in him break. He takes a shuddering breath and he feels blood pooling in his mouth. He covers his mouth as he coughs and he can feel the splatter of it against his hand.

Lance wipes his mouth and narrows his eyes on her. “But your evil will be wiped from this world and that's all that matters.”

Haggar lets out a dry humourless laugh, the light draining from her eyes.

-

Lance had been right beside him and then he was gone. Panic explodes inside him and he doesn’t know what to do. He didn’t see which way that Lance went and he doesn’t really have time to look for him. Keith looks around, but doesn’t see him. He takes a breath before jumping back into the fray. They have to stop the enemy from getting in the castle. They have to protect the people. They’ve already lost so much, they can’t lose more, so even though Keith is worried he fights on.

The sound of water catches his attention, he watches the attack against the druid and he takes off running. He has to protect Lance, he has to protect Lance, he has to…

No.

How did he get so far away? How could Keith let this happen? He sees the other spikes of ice strike through Haggar. Keith gets to Lance right as he collapses, “No, no, no, Lance! Stay with me! MATT!” The name rips from his throat and it’s almost painful.

Lance’s eyes are glazed over as he looks up at Keith. He lifts up a hand and cups Keith’s face, “God you’re beautiful. I love you.”

“Shhh, Lance stay with me.” He starts putting pressure on his side, and he yells for Matt or any healer, “Come on Lance, stay with me.”

“M’not going to make it.”

“Don’t say that!” Tears are springing to his eyes now, Keith’s throat aches, “Gods please…”

“I wanted to marry you.” Lance continues on coughing up blood.

“Stop talking in past tense, we’re still going to get married. And we’ll go together to your parents graves to pay tribute.”

Lance chuckles, “In another lifetime then. I’ve lost too much blood Keith.”

Keith knows this to be true, Lance is too weak at this point, “I’ll always look for you.”

Lance smile is the brightest he’s seen in awhile, “I love you Keith, and I will always love you.” 

Keith sniffles, an ache in his heart as he watches the life drain from Lance, “I love you too Lance. I will find you, I promise.”

Lance’s expression changes his eyes lock on something behind Keith, but before Keith can turn to look at what Lance is looking at something pierces his chest, “No…” Lance’s voice wavers, and Keith collapses on top of Lance, already dead.

Haggar lets out another wicked laugh, “The curse is complete. My death will now go to good use.”


	2. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith wakes up in an unfamiliar place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey every one! I'm surprised that I got this one out as fast as I did. Between life, mental illness, and being addicted to Overwatch I tend to not do thing that don't have a dead line. Yes I know that this one is super short but it was just to show how all of these things are connected and to set up for the next chapters. There will be these interlude chapters all through the story and they are important. Any way as always if you have anything you want to ask or just want to say hi you can do it below or [ twitter](https://twitter.com/aquarianSin) or [ tumblr](https://callmesinpai.tumblr.com) I'm also going to be posting status updates in those places so if you're curious as how things are coming these will be the places to do it.

Keith’s eyes flutter open, he feels disoriented and foggy. Like he's taken a sleeping potion and awoken too early. His head is throbbing like he drank too much wine, and something just feels wrong. He doesn’t even have to look around to know that he’s not in his bed back in the small cabin he shared with Shiro, he also knows he’s not curled up in the lavish comfort of Lance’s bed. He’s somewhere else, somewhere he doesn’t remember being before. Then everything comes rushing back, panic curls in his stomach and he sits up right.

He has to get to Lance!

He looks around wildly ready to jump and run but nothing looks familiar, there's no castle or battle or soldiers, no Haggar and most importantly no Lance. How did he get here? What was going on? Keith’s mind slows down and actually takes in his surroundings. He didn’t recognize anything around him, why was he laying on a stone bed?

The sky was almost teal in color starting almost white around the edges and darkest right above Keith almost dark navy. The grass is more blue than green, and everything from the lights coming from the fireflies to the stone path leading away from the stone bed he’s laying on is tinged blue. He almost feels like he’s underwater.

Keith stands, feeling calmed even though he has no idea where he is and there’s no one around; at least not that Keith could see. He starts following the path not knowing where else to go. He doesn’t know how long he walks, passing trees with their bluish green leafs, and gray-brown trunks, lamp posts with technology he’s never seen putting off cold blue light. The place is weird, but he likes it; it reminds him of Lance, even though there’s something off about it. Something that pulls at the back of his mind, a nagging sensation that he can’t shake.

“You’re finally awake.” Keith startles and spins around. The voice belonged to a girl with long blonde hair pulled up onto her head elegantly, her dress is almost transparent white and flowing around her on a breeze Keith can’t feel. If he looked hard enough he could easily see the shape of her body under the flow of the fabric, “I’m happy to see you, Keith. I’m Romelle.”

The name tugs at something in the back of his mind but he can’t quiet place what it is. “How do you know who I am?” He narrows his eyes on her. There’s something, but his head is still hurting and he is still having trouble thinking clearly.

Romelle lifts a dainty hand and laughs behind it, “I know everything.” Her voice is teasing, but for some reason he feels like this isn’t a completely lie, but maybe not the whole truth, “This way, I’m sure you’re worried about Lance.” Keith nods and silently follows behind her.

Keith watches the world as he walks the path only slightly behind her. “What is this place?” He glances at her back unsure about what’s going on. If he listens closely he can hear the sound of singing from the far off water.

“This is the afterlife. Or something like that.” There’s a lit to her voice that tells Keith that she’s teasing him. That she has the information he wants, but she’s withholding it for some reason Keith can’t quite understand.

“But shouldn’t there be more, I don’t know, people here?” He’s still seen nobody except Romelle and he finds it strange if this is what she says this place is.

“Honestly I’m not sure what I can tell you just yet.” She glances at him over her shoulder, “Since you are just mortal, I’m not really sure what I can and can’t tell you. These kind of situations are extremely rare.”

Everything Romelle says is vague and just goes to confuse Keith further, “Wait, what do you mean mortal? And what situations?”

“Your curse.” Romelle says sadly, once again avoiding giving him a proper answer. He was starting to get annoyed by this women. Everything she answered just left him with more questions, “This way.” 

It’s become obvious that she’s not going to give him a straight answer, at least not yet, and as much as he would like to keep hounding her Keith drops it. It’s not getting anywhere and all it’s proving to do is irritate Keith further, which isn’t helping his headache. To save them both the time and energy he just focuses on something else,“What’s with the singing?”

“Ah a question I know can answer. They’re sirens. They sing for their missing wings, but people often hear whatever they want to hear in their songs.” She looks off towards the water, “You can’t see it from here, but there’s an island out there that they sit on and mourn the loss of their wings.”

“I thought they were like mermaids.”

Romelle shakes her head, “Nope.” She pops her p, “At some point in time there was a change in how they were thought of, but I guess I can see where the misconception comes from. An island covered in fog that nobody can really see, anybody who goes into the water is ranting like a lunatic and is never heard from again.”

Keith nods and continues to follow her. He doesn’t know how long they walk for, but Keith notices the ombre of the sky never chances and moves with them as they walk. They seemed to be walking into a deep forest because the trees were getting thicker and thicker with every step until he couldn’t see past the first few rows of trees. They walk through there for a while before Keith sees a light coming from ahead. Before long they step into a clearing.

The first thing Keith notices is that it’s perfectly round, the second is the light blue and white flowers cover everything except the path that leads to another stone bed where Lance is laying. Keith brushes past Romelle almost pushing her out of the way as he rushed to Lance’s side, “Lance!” He says breathlessly, pushing hair away from his face.

Lance doesn’t react to the sound of Keith’s voice, not a flutter of his eyes, not a twitch, “What’s wrong with him?” He spins around to glare at Romelle like this is her fault even though he knows that its not.

Romelle stands a little ways back, hands clasped in front of her body, “He hasn’t awakened yet.” She states it as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world, “We don’t know when he’ll wake up.”

Anger flows through him fiery hot, burning away anything else he could feel, “What do you mean you don’t know when he’ll wake up?” His voice was cold and harsh and she winces. He doesn’t mean to be like this, it’s obvious that Romelle is trying to help him-help Lance-but his anger is consuming everything.

“I’m sorry.” Guilt rushes through him like a title wave and extinguishes his anger, and a voice that sound very Lance like whispers to him ‘It’s going to be okay.’ This helps sooth his nerves even if the voice is just in his head, “It’s impossible for us to tell right now.” Romelle’s face stays calm even in the face of his wrath.

“But he will wake up?”

“It’s been foretold.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“Yes, Keith, he will wake up.” Romelle takes a step towards him, “We just don’t know when yet. We’re hoping sooner rather than later.”

He looks down on Lance’s sleeping face, he caresses his face. “So what are we doing here?”

“Well this is a purgatory of sorts. You're stuck here because the Druid known as Haggar put a curse on the two of you, and with that curse you’ll never be able to rest peacefully. But we found a loophole around that.” She steps up beside Keith gazing down at Lance so tenderly that it almost made Keith sick.

“Who’s we?” Keith looks at her skeptically, he can’t help but look around as if Lance is going to jump out from the trees and say this was all a joke. But that doesn’t happen and Keith is left with the disappointment that his lover is on a hard stone bed and won’t wake up.

“You…” Romelle looks shocked, “You didn’t recognise my name?”

“Should I have?” Keith shrugs off her question, he was never good with names. Her’s does tug at something, but he has no idea what it is. It’s just out of his reach.

“Keith, I’m the keeper of the afterlife.”

Keith’s eyebrows come together in confusion. “What does that mean?”

“I’m the god of the dead. I usher those who wish it back into life, and make sure everyone else is placed in the underworld.”

Understanding finally dons on Keith and he stares at Romelle with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. “Oh…” She laughs softly but doesn’t say anything about his earlier behavior, “So is Lance really loved by the gods?”

“Yes.” Keith can’t place Romelle’s face, it’s soft and warm, “In the past he did many great things and earned the favor of many gods.”

Keith doesn’t know if that’s the whole truth with the way she says it but he doesn’t have any reason to not believe her. He looks down at Lance, he was so beautiful it hurt, “So why are we here?”

Romelle frowns at Keith, “Because until the curse is lifted you’ll never be able to be at peace. You’ll be stuck here in limbo.” Her expression softens, “But we may have found a loophole.”

There’s something in the way that she says that that sets something inside Keith on edge. It’s not something he can explain, but it feels like when Lance tells him he has a plan and is very vague about it because he wasn’t going to like that, and he voices that, “Why do I feel like I’m not going to like this?” 

“It won’t be that bad.” Even as she says this Keith doesn’t believe her and it must show on his face, “Look, we’re not all knowing. There are things we don’t know, especially in the realm of other gods. We need to do more research. You’re just buying us some time.”

Keith has more answers now than what he had in the beginning but he’s just left feeling even more confused, “Buying some time? What do you mean?”

Romelle laughs but it’s not unkindly and helps to sooth Keith’s fraying nerves. There’s something about her that’s familiar, that that reminds Keith a lot of Lance’s mother. It’s not her looks it’s more in the way that she holds herself, “We’re sending you back into the world of the living. We don’t know what will happen, not even our best seer could foretell.”

“Why are you telling me this now when you wouldn’t give me any information before?”

“I needed you to see before I told you. I didn’t know if you would believe me.”

He sighs staring down at Lance before leaning down and pressing his lips against his, “I’m coming back for you.” Keith gives Lance another soft kiss before pulling away and turning back to Romelle. She’s watching them with a soft, sad look. He doesn’t understand why she’s so sad for them, but right now he doesn’t have time to think about it. He knows time is of the essence even though he can’t quite explain why he knows, “So what’s the next step?”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know when the next chapter will be out, but I'll try and make it quickly. Just no promises.


End file.
